Toward the Next Generation of Passive Micromixers: A Novel 3-D Design Approach
Passive micromixers are miniaturized instruments that are used to mix fluids in microfluidic systems. In microchannels, combination of laminar flows and small diffusion constants of mixing liquids produce a difficult mixing environment. In particular, in very low Reynolds number flows, e.g., Re <...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Micromachines |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/12/4/372 |
| _version_ | 1797539473635934208 |
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| author | Mahmut Burak Okuducu Mustafa M. Aral |
| author_facet | Mahmut Burak Okuducu Mustafa M. Aral |
| author_sort | Mahmut Burak Okuducu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Passive micromixers are miniaturized instruments that are used to mix fluids in microfluidic systems. In microchannels, combination of laminar flows and small diffusion constants of mixing liquids produce a difficult mixing environment. In particular, in very low Reynolds number flows, e.g., Re < 10, diffusive mixing cannot be promoted unless a large interfacial area is formed between the fluids to be mixed. Therefore, the mixing distance increases substantially due to a slow diffusion process that governs fluid mixing. In this article, a novel 3-D passive micromixer design is developed to improve fluid mixing over a short distance. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are used to investigate the performance of the micromixer numerically. The circular-shaped fluid overlapping (CSFO) micromixer design proposed is examined in several fluid flow, diffusivity, and injection conditions. The outcomes show that the CSFO geometry develops a large interfacial area between the fluid bodies. Thus, fluid mixing is accelerated in vertical and/or horizontal directions depending on the injection type applied. For the smallest molecular diffusion constant tested, the CSFO micromixer design provides more than 90% mixing efficiency in a distance between 260 and 470 µm. The maximum pressure drop in the micromixer is found to be less than 1.4 kPa in the highest flow conditioned examined. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:45:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5d19859b48234961b55fc3938e221363 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-666X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:45:30Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Micromachines |
| spelling | doaj.art-5d19859b48234961b55fc3938e2213632023-11-21T13:29:41ZengMDPI AGMicromachines2072-666X2021-03-0112437210.3390/mi12040372Toward the Next Generation of Passive Micromixers: A Novel 3-D Design ApproachMahmut Burak Okuducu0Mustafa M. Aral1School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USADesign and Simulation Technologies Inc., Istanbul 34860, TurkeyPassive micromixers are miniaturized instruments that are used to mix fluids in microfluidic systems. In microchannels, combination of laminar flows and small diffusion constants of mixing liquids produce a difficult mixing environment. In particular, in very low Reynolds number flows, e.g., Re < 10, diffusive mixing cannot be promoted unless a large interfacial area is formed between the fluids to be mixed. Therefore, the mixing distance increases substantially due to a slow diffusion process that governs fluid mixing. In this article, a novel 3-D passive micromixer design is developed to improve fluid mixing over a short distance. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are used to investigate the performance of the micromixer numerically. The circular-shaped fluid overlapping (CSFO) micromixer design proposed is examined in several fluid flow, diffusivity, and injection conditions. The outcomes show that the CSFO geometry develops a large interfacial area between the fluid bodies. Thus, fluid mixing is accelerated in vertical and/or horizontal directions depending on the injection type applied. For the smallest molecular diffusion constant tested, the CSFO micromixer design provides more than 90% mixing efficiency in a distance between 260 and 470 µm. The maximum pressure drop in the micromixer is found to be less than 1.4 kPa in the highest flow conditioned examined.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/12/4/372micromixerdiffusive mixingpassive mixingfluid overlappingsequential injectionsegmentation |
| spellingShingle | Mahmut Burak Okuducu Mustafa M. Aral Toward the Next Generation of Passive Micromixers: A Novel 3-D Design Approach Micromachines micromixer diffusive mixing passive mixing fluid overlapping sequential injection segmentation |
| title | Toward the Next Generation of Passive Micromixers: A Novel 3-D Design Approach |
| title_full | Toward the Next Generation of Passive Micromixers: A Novel 3-D Design Approach |
| title_fullStr | Toward the Next Generation of Passive Micromixers: A Novel 3-D Design Approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Toward the Next Generation of Passive Micromixers: A Novel 3-D Design Approach |
| title_short | Toward the Next Generation of Passive Micromixers: A Novel 3-D Design Approach |
| title_sort | toward the next generation of passive micromixers a novel 3 d design approach |
| topic | micromixer diffusive mixing passive mixing fluid overlapping sequential injection segmentation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/12/4/372 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mahmutburakokuducu towardthenextgenerationofpassivemicromixersanovel3ddesignapproach AT mustafamaral towardthenextgenerationofpassivemicromixersanovel3ddesignapproach |